'Special forces'

During a debate in the House of Commons, Mr Brown said that "in its hour of need" Nigeria required "more helicopter support, more aircraft cover, more surveillance equipment".

The former Labour Party leader added: "I believe that we should also support President [Goodluck] Jonathan's call for a better co-ordinated system for sharing intelligence across borders, and if necessary the use of special forces and law enforcement agencies to help them confront terrorism."

Image copyrightReutersImage caption
The schoolgirls were abducted in April

He said the world's attention span was limited, and interest in the plight of the children had "ebbed".

The UK has already pledged £1m to help with security, but Mr Brown said the country needed to go further.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in Nigeria this year in attacks blamed on Boko Haram militants.